Ranger's Apprentice 2: Gem of the Scotti Book One
by Traversing
Summary: [New Story, I am in the making of another Ranger's Apprentice, right from the beginning.] Every child in the Kingdom of Araluen Ward looks forward to the Choosing, the time when they are picked from available mentors and apprenticed to them. Not Will Treaty. As he endeavors to find his skill, he is pulled off track and thrust into the secrets of the warriors known as the Scotti.
1. 1

**I've been bored. After reading Ranger's Apprentice, I have grown a newfound curiosity for it. I now, am about to do my best with making RA the new hit story.**

 **Prepare.**

 **1**

* * *

A thundering crash outside of the castle struck near. Will tossed and turned in his bed, his ears growing deaf from the splintering cracks of the lighting striking and striking over and over. He creased the folds of his sheets to his ears and did his best to muffle the obtruse sounds of the storm, only in vain.

The only thing worse than the storm, was that in all the growing days of his time in the Ward of Redmont Castle, the Choosing was coming very near, incoming three days time. He tossed and turned, knowing that he would not get chosen, for his skills were in deft lack. The only things he practiced, potent seldom, were climbing trees and playing hide-and-catch with his friends, who did their best to reassure him, mainly of these, Alyss, a pretty girl that he quite liked, Jenny, a nice girl who would sometimes cook in secrecy and serve them to Will, and Horace, a big bulky boy with the most physical strength.

A new sound awoke Will. He dully heard a slight creak of the door, but he couldn't tell if it was just the rattling of the door or someone was trying to use the privies. Either way, he wouldn't care. He sunk back into the depths and folds of his sheets, and fell asleep, unaware of the grizzled man watching him, his cloak hiding him in the shadows, a strung longbow on his right shoulder, and a quiver of two dozen arrows in his left.

Fresh sunlight poured in from a shutter next to him. He groaned, his shoulders and back aching severely. He opened his eyes and squinted, finding Alyss standing there, her perfect smile infectious and friendly.

"Wake up sleepyhead!" she said, grinning in Will's tired condition. Will looked at her and had to try hard not to try to smile back at her. He tried to hoist himself up, only to land flat on his back again in the bed. Alyss giggled. She helped Will lift his body up, and with a grunt he was sitting on the bed, facing Alyss. He groaned, his body betraying his feelings. He looked up at her.

"Next time, can you just wake me up and not open the shutters? It really disturbs how I sleep you know," he said.

Alyss' grin widened. "I would never pass up the opportunity to disturb with you,"

"And I would pass up the opportunity to wake up in distress."

"And to what may that distress be?" she asked, her face casual.

He looked at her in the eye. "The distress of waking up and seeing a pan of death to me." he said, and then after a moment of silence, they both erupted in fits of giggles.

* * *

"Will, c'mon, you know you like her and she likes you. Go for the romance dude!"

Will was still talking with Horace. He had seen Will and Alyss come out of his room, and instantly got to Will. Will was trying his best to defend himself, albeit weakly.

"Horace," Will said, struggling for words.

Horace raised an eyebrow. "That's my name."

Will rolled his eyes. "Yes I know that."

"Then why did you say it?"

"Maybe since I was trying to ask a question? Couldn't you have heard that? Couldn't you?"

Horace smiled. "And you just did. Three actually."

Will groaned. Horace just loved toying with Will, as he knew Will had no way to come back at him. He tried another desperate attempt. "Horace, as I was saying, you know I can't go for that romance that early! I don't even know if she likes me back!"

Horace patted Will's shoulder. "Dude, I know she likes you back." he said, "Trust me on it. I can just see it."

Will looked at him. "And what tells you that?"

"The big letters on her forehead spelling out **W I L L** maybe?"

Will's brow furrowed. "Really?"

Horace rolled his eyes. "Of course not." he said, "It could be the expressions she's giving you and those dreamy looks. Or it could just be my amazing sense of perception."

Now it was Will's turn to roll his eyes. "Undoubtedly."

Horace took his hand off Will's shoulder, which was starting to throb under the great weight. Will let loose a breath of relief. He rubbed his shoulder, which was now a dirty red in the shape of a hand.

"Let's go to breakfast. I heard Jenny made some apple pancakes." Horace said.

Will's eyes widened. "Really? Then take me there!"

Horace grinned. "I knew you would say that. I like her food too."

And they left together in the direction of the sweet and sizzling aroma of pancakes.

* * *

 **Chapter 1**


	2. 2

**CHAPTER TWO**

 **2**

* * *

"The boy is very talented Crowley," Halt said, gesturing to the boy, out of earshot, but in view. "I may very well plan to choose him as an apprentice."

They had been talking for a long time, Halt, placing his case of apprenticing the boy. Crowley, as he put it, didn't want to tell Halt, but he didn't want him to have an apprentice, as he was needed here in the kingdom, by not him, but King Duncan and the Battleschool lords. Even still, Crowley still thought about it.

He has seen the boy firsthand, scaling trees with what seemed contemptuous ease. A good climber was very essential for Ranger duty, as Rangers, who tended to be the King's Scouts, would very well go search for danger, usually in breaking weather. He and Halt had experienced it firsthand, when Morgarath had planned and plotted against the kingdom. He rubbed his chin, which was starting to appear to grow a gray beard.

"Halt," he began, and he quickly continued his sentence, as Halt raised an eyebrow at him, preparing to speak. "I know you are taking a close eye on the boy. But tell me, what good will it do for you to have an apprentice?" he said, grateful he had finished before Halt could bewilder him with his tongue.

Halt, beaten to the sentence, not ever questioned that to himself, as he had always thought that having an apprentice, as Pauline put it, would shake him out of that dark brooding cloud he has been in. He shrugged, not knowing what else to do.

Crowley, knowing the shrug, for Halt, was basically saying he didn't know. He smiled a smile of triumph. "Exactly. Halt, you don't need an apprentice. We need all support and staff for the king. We have to gather forces, in case of a war that will break out. There is a rumor that the Skandians and the Scotti have grown wary of the treaty we signed years ago. But if you insist on having an apprentice, we can have him trained my another Ranger, most appreciable, one that is close to getting the gold oakleaf, or having the gold oakleaf, and then have him transferred to you." he explained, his cloak rippling behind him.

Halt contemplated this. He knew in his heart that this was most likely the best way to compromise on this apprenticing. He nodded, assigning assent to the option.

Crowley beamed. He slapped his hand on his old friend's back, and he grinned. "Well, now that that is over, I have something else I need to say."

Halt raised an eyebrow. "And to what means may that be?" he said, and Crowley grinned wider.

"The mean," he said, "Is that I have assumed fact that a brigand is trying to plot against this castle, and we need someone to stop it."

"And," Halt said, already knowing where this was going, "who is that someone?"

Crowley chuckled. "Oh Halt," he said, "Surely you know who, don't you?"

Halt raised his face to the ceiling. "Of course I do." he said.

"Then," Crowley said, "Be here at after dawn tomorrow and I'll tell you where they are."

Halt sighed. "Sure you will."

o o o

* * *

Will had just finished eating Jenny's delicious apple pancakes, and Alyss, Horace, and himself all thanked Jenny, and as Horace put it, the meal was "A blessing from God."

He was walking down the cobblestone road, looking for his hiding spot, the maple tree that was left of the castle, and travelers, commoners, and castlemen and women tended not to go there. He spotted the tree, and hurriedly began to climb it, sitting in the hole that he had made himself, and lay down, his head facing the clear sky.

But a flash of metal caught his attention.

As he lay down, he saw the quickest sliver of steel, and bolted upright, searching around him for the intruder. He saw nothing. He scanned the area again, and after a few minutes, deciding it may have been his imagination, or it could have been a knight practicing. He lay down again, but saw the same thing. He frantically looked around him, and then he saw it. The shiny metal, a sword with an encrusted diamond hilt, hanging from inside the tree he had been sitting in.

He looked at it in shock. How could he have not noticed it earlier? But, he noticed that it had been cleverly concealed as he saw some mold growing inside that was just before it, covering the shiny metal from the rays of the sun.

Will tried to think of who this sword would belong to. It was most likely a warrior who stored his weapon in the tree. But he looked at the diamond hilt and shook his head. No warrior would put a diamond hilt on his sword. Only royalty could have afforded it, and even so, the diamond hilt would only weigh the sword down, as Horace had told him.

He stared at it, and after a time, looked around him to check nobody was looking, and grabbed the sword. As he tried to heft it, in the same motion as the Battleschool apprentices, and to his surprise, it was very light. He tested it by swinging it, and yelped as it almost cut his fingers off, as the swift flow of the blade perfectly swerved to and fro.

He stared at it once more, his thoughts collecting and pooling into one general idea. A little part of his mind wanted him to keep it for himself, yet the majority was to report it, and see if anyone lost such a valuable weapon. He did the latter.

o o o

* * *

He had been searching for almost an hour now.

As he was taking a break, settling in a fief for some rest, as the following day, he will have a momentous task upon him.

He sighed, taking a sip from his canteen. He still remembered his father's face, as he talked to him, his voice cracking with emotion and weariness as he told him of the job he would have to uphold, to avenge his family of the treacherous King of Araluen.

He knew he had left his family's prized sword in a hollow in a tree somewhere. But he couldn't find it. He retraced his steps. Twelve steps from the east side of the market. Fourteen steps to the west. Three steps to the east. And there was the tree. But when he scoured the entire tree, even tried to climb the tree to see if the sword had lain there. But to no avail.

He cursed under his breath, as he fell down to the ground from exhaustion. He had exerted himself, scavenging every tree there was in the area, trying to find that damned sword. If he couldn't find it, his family's honor would never be restored. He would never have his revenge.

He brought his face up, lifting them to the clear sky, as he prayed he was wrong.

o o o

* * *

"And you're sure of this?" said Baron Arald, his hand rubbing his chin thoughtfully.

Will nodded. He had been talking to the Baron for several minutes now, as he explained how he had found the sword. "Yes. I found it in the hollow of a tree I used to lie in. It was concealed behind moss."

"Hmmmm..."

Arald remembered seeing that insignia on the sword. He knew Will, had thought, that the insignia was probably just a logo on the sword. But not him. He had recalled on one of his journeys to another foreign land, to see the secrets of swordplay. He remembered as he saw that they had made their swords out of an elastic metal, a very light ore, mined from the Mountains of Rain and Night. A very dangerous task, but a very profitable one as well. He decided it was worth telling Will.

Arald gestured to the boy. "Will," he said, "Do you see that insignia right there?"

Will searched the blade. He saw where Arald was pointing, the little logo. He had thought it was just an imprint on the sword, repeated on the hilt. But as he scanned it once more, he saw it was the only one on there, and on the center of the hilt. He nodded.

"As I do believe that insignia is of a royal family, I think I might know where it may have been from, and it's intentions. May I feel the blade?" he asked.

Will nodded. He handed the sword to Arald, his hands feeling clumsy as the blade dipped. Arald gave the sword a light swing, and whistled appreciatively as he sought out the smooth sword movement.

"Yes," he said, as his suspicions were confirmed. "This sword was made from the land the Scotti inhabit. They had a mine somewhere near Three Step Pass, but it was also in the Mountains of Rain and Night."

He looked at the boy. Will had a confused expression, as he had no knowledge of geography. Arald sighed. "Don't worry about it lass. I'll report this sword in my time. You have my thanks and farewell."

Will nodded his head gratefully. With a motion from Arald, he unlocked the door and headed out.

* * *

 **Chapter Two**


End file.
